Sweet Caroline

Aided by the platoons of advisers and image-makers that her family can mobilize, Caroline Kennedy set off across New York yesterday to press her case for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton.

Royalty is, however, not used to answering critical questions.

In an early New York Times lead from the tour, the Grey Lady growled:

“In a carefully controlled strategy reminiscent of the vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, aides to Caroline Kennedy interrupted her on Wednesday and whisked her away when she was asked what her qualifications are to be U.S. Senator.”

The Kennedy camp apparently realized its error, and made a quick course correction. By late afternoon, the Grey Lady was singing Sweet Caroline:

“She talked about her book, about the Bill of Rights. She talked about raising her family. And echoing her friend President-elect Barack Obama, she said she could bring change to Washington.”

It brings tears to your eyes, if you happen to be a crocodile.

(Kudos to Markos Moulitsas Zuninga, proprietor of the Daily Kos Web site, for pouncing on the story.

The curious thing about this story is how closely it resembles Hillary Clinton in the early months of this year’s presidential campaign, when the former first lady was running as a quasi-incumbent.

The Des Moines Register, which backed Clinton, reported on New Years Day that she had taken audience questions in only three of her previous 27 Iowa town meetings.

The Clinton campaign quickly flipped, and Hillary answered three audience questions in Ames, Iowa, that day – in far more animated fashion than reciting her regal stump speech.

In Tacoma, prior to a February rally, Clinton was back to being received rather than questioned.

A Seattle radio station was given a five-minute interview. Four reporters were told they would have one question apiece.

At the same time, Sen. Barack Obama had a full press conference at McKinstry Co. in south Seattle.

The political royal families in America — Kennedys, Bushes, Clintons, Jacksons, Cuomos, etc. – are seemingly hungry to turn the U.S. Senate into our nation’s House of Lords.

Will the folks, and/or the ink-stained wretches, be allowed a word in edgewise? Will we have to be grateful to get it?